8. Near-Surface Seismology: Surface-Based Methods

Pelton, John R.

doi:10.1190/1.9781560801719.ch8

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 323 publications

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“…This technology has been employed for a variety of near-surface investigations related to archaeological sites, subsurface contamination, geotechnical engineering problems, groundwater resources, and earthquake hazards ͑see Pelton, 2005 for an extensive list͒. Most of these investigations have been conducted since about 1990, and it is expected that more will be conducted in the future.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of phase inversion and traveltime tomography for processing near-surface refraction traveltimes

Ellefsen

2009

GEOPHYSICS

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With phase inversion, one can estimate subsurface velocities using the phases of first-arriving waves, which are the frequency-domain equivalents of the traveltimes. Phase inversion is modified to make it suitable for processing traveltimes from near-surface refraction surveys. The modifications include parameterizing the model, correcting the observed phases, and selecting the complex frequency. This modified phase inversion is compared to traveltime tomography. For two comparisons using computer-simulated traveltimes, the difference between the estimated and correct models, the residual mean, and the residual standard deviation are smaller for the phase inversion than they are for the traveltime tomography. For a comparison using field data from an S-wave refraction survey, both methods estimate models that are consistent with the known geology. Nonetheless, the phase-inversion model includes small-scale features in the bedrock that are geologically plausible; the residual mean and the residual standard deviation are smaller for the phase inversion than they are for the traveltime tomography.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of phase inversion and traveltime tomography for processing near-surface refraction traveltimes

Ellefsen

2009

GEOPHYSICS

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“…Data acquisition requires more geophones (a geophone is a seismometer, a transducer that converts ground motion [usually up and down] into an electrical signal), more energy source points, and substantially more data. The low wave velocities in the near surface can also be problematic when scaling down this technique, which was originally designed for use in petroleum exploration (Pelton 2005).…”

Section: Seismic Refractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The seismic refraction method depends on seismic waves that are transmitted through (rather than reflected from) the earth (Pelton 2005;Telford, Geldart, and Sheriff 1990; Reynolds 1997). The ray paths taken by these waves are distorted by refraction at velocity changes.…”

Section: Seismic Refractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seismic refraction (Pelton 2005;Telford, Geldart, and Sheriff 1990;Reynolds 1997) is a geophysical method used to explore subsurface structures delineated by differences in seismic wave velocity, which are dependent upon the physical properties of the medium through which they propagate (e.g., density, elastic strength, porosity). A common use of the shallow refraction method is to determine depth to bedrock.…”

Section: Seismic Refractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seismic Refraction at Ancestral Puebloan Sites on the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico

Nisengard¹,

Isaacson²,

Ferguson

et al. 2008

Journal of Field Archaeology

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“…Seismic refraction methods are commonly used to characterize the near-surface in environmental and engineering studies (e.g., Pelton, 2005). There are many different methods for obtaining a velocity model from seismic refraction first-arrival times, ranging from forward modeling to analytic and geometrical methods to inverse and tomographic methods (e.g., Palmer, 1980;Zelt and Smith, 1992;Sheehan et al, 2005;Ellefsen 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blind Test of Methods for Obtaining 2-D Near-Surface Seismic Velocity Models from First-Arrival Traveltimes

Zelt

Haines

Powers

et al. 2013

JEEG

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Seismic refraction methods are used in environmental and engineering studies to image the shallow subsurface. We present a blind test of inversion and tomographic refraction analysis methods using a synthetic first-arrival-time dataset that was made available to the community in 2010. The data are realistic in terms of the near-surface velocity model, shot-receiver geometry and the data's frequency and added noise. Fourteen estimated models were determined by ten participants using eight different inversion algorithms, with the true model unknown to the participants until it was revealed at a session at the 2011 SAGEEP meeting. The estimated models are generally consistent in terms of their large-scale features, demonstrating the robustness of refraction data inversion in general, and the eight inversion algorithms in particular. When compared to the true model, all of the estimated models contain a smooth expression of its two main features: a large offset in the bedrock and the top of a steeply dipping low-velocity fault zone. The estimated models do not contain a subtle low-velocity zone and other fine-scale features, in accord with conventional wisdom. Together, the results support confidence in the reliability and robustness of modern refraction inversion and tomographic methods.

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8. Near-Surface Seismology: Surface-Based Methods

Cited by 20 publications

References 323 publications

A comparison of phase inversion and traveltime tomography for processing near-surface refraction traveltimes

A comparison of phase inversion and traveltime tomography for processing near-surface refraction traveltimes

Seismic Refraction at Ancestral Puebloan Sites on the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico

Blind Test of Methods for Obtaining 2-D Near-Surface Seismic Velocity Models from First-Arrival Traveltimes

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